Flagstone, exposed aggregate colored concrete (red), with colored concrete with acid wash finish (red) in background Photo courtesy of Margaret Joplin

By Jodi Paper

For Michael Dollin of Urban Earth Design in Phoenix, stone is a part of the earth's palate, and therefore a key ingredient in building upon its surface. Originally from Cincinnati, Dollin came to Arizona with, as he puts it, a "go west, young man" attitude. As a biology major at the University of Cincinnati, he wanted to combine his interests in life, living systems and ecology with the artistic pursuits so important to him — namely drawing, painting and drumming. While the drumming probably comes in less handy on the job than his other preferences of media, for Dollin there is a kind of backbeat to landscape architecture; the land itself is the rhythm, the stones that come out of the ground are the various instruments used to build upon that rhythm to create a medley bigger and greater than the sum of its parts.

The Arizona landscape consists of both desert and mountainous regions. While there are areas that may receive upwards of 30 inches of precipitation per year, the vast majority of the state is extremely dry and may receive as little as six to eight inches. Because of this drought-like climate, the promotion of lawns and other vast expanses of greenery that would require moisture to thrive is minimal. Landscape architects must look for the most efficient ways in which to put the more plentiful natural resources to use. Whereas in most parts of this country, grass forms the basis for a landscape design, here, stone has become a popular medium, and often, the central material.

Home to a wide variety of stone — the Grand Canyon alone contains at least a dozen different types of rock — it perhaps comes as no surprise that quarrying is a major industry in Arizona. From flagstone to granite, paving stone to boulders, it is only natural that all this stone, in all of its varying forms and styles, is instrumental to the artful, utilitarian — and yes, musical — world of Arizona landscaping.

Six-inch wide slate planks set within a random pattern of slate
Photo courtesy of Margaret Joplin

Enduring Colors, Sizes and Shapes
Sarah Dawe and her husband, Charles, are the owners of Anasazi Stone Company Inc. in Scottsdale, Ariz. Their family-owned business has grown out of what had been mostly a tile supply company that merely dabbled in flagstone. Their shift from tile to stone occurred as the Dawes witnessed a major change in the landscaping industry. While tile is extremely useful, and in many cases ideal for indoor use, outside it just isn't practical. And though manmade materials like concrete and pavement were the oft and typically utilized choice for areas of outdoor development, flagstone provided a fresher, more natural looking alternative.

The Dawes soon found the demand for flagstone growing, while the existing quarries from which they received their materials struggled to keep their supplies from diminishing. The Dawes decided to take matters into their own hands and soon transformed their tile business into what it is today: one of the largest quarriers, fabricators and suppliers of natural stone in Arizona, specializing in the custom quarrying of Coconino sandstone slabs and blocks.

Among Anasazi Stone Company's most popular selections are the Classic Oak, Apache and Rosa colors. Sarah Dawe's favorite, however, is the Hualapai Chocolate flagstone, indigenous to Northern Arizona. The stone is not as abundant as other varieties, and therefore more expensive, but its smooth surface and rich, warm color make it worth the extra cost.

	A cut native Arizona sandstone fountain of the ASU Foundation Building evokes the rugged sculpted canyon environments of Arizona and adds the refreshing presence of water. Photo courtesy of Shelagh Murphy & Urban Earth Design LLC

Also a unique stone native to Arizona is the Chrysocolla, a copper-bearing ore. Copper mines are plentiful in the state — about 65 percent of the copper mined in the United States comes from Arizona. As copper oxidizes, it turns blue and green, lending colorful streaks to the stones in which the mineral is present.

Arizona Moss rock is yet another indigenous stone. More of a specialty material than a standard installation, Arizona Moss rock — surface flagstone speckled with dried moss — is chopped into a building stone and can be used in many applications including stacked walls and pathways. Steve Rogers, vice president of The Rock Yard Inc., with locations in Chandler and Payson, believes that Arizona Moss rock may currently be the most popular natural stone used for landscaping because it is versatile and has more of a "high mountain, rustic look."

Though not nearly as popular as Moss rock, Rogers notes a growing demand for boulders as well. In the mid-90s, boulders were selling for $8 per ton. Now, depending on where they come from and the quality of their surfaces, boulders can cost anywhere from $160 to $200 per ton.

The ASU Foundation entry opens to the east in a gesture to bridge the site with the alumni lawn to the south. Fingers of the lawn transition into a dry retention basin where surface select granite boulders lay atop decomposed granite to provide the under story for a mesquite bosque.
Photo courtesy of Bill Timmerman & Urban Earth Design LLC

Once thought of as a nuisance, boulders are, in a way, nature's sculptures. For Margaret Joplin, a landscape architect who established Design Collaborations Ltd. in Tucson in 1990, the role boulders play in a good landscape design is twofold: they fill a space and give it artistic meaning.

Joplin's firm collaborates with clients in commercial, community and residential capacities, focusing on public art and outdoor spaces. When asked, she is hard-pressed to come up with any one stone she would deem her favorite. For Joplin, it is the beauty and versatility of the wide range of materials, and the ability to know where to use them, that draws her enthusiasm. She cites examples of residential projects involving the rich use of brick and adobe, combined with different styles of stone to create unique inlaid patterns. Slate, cut into one- to four-inch planks, might be used to build a floor outdoors, set in a way similar to how one might install hardwood flooring indoors.

	The Salt River Project fountain consists of a black granite runnel juxtaposed with a naturalistic stream that flows full for five minutes each hour, then subsides to a trickle. A boulder cluster above contains a pool that represents the lakes and dams of Arizona's high country. Photo courtesy of Michael Dollin & Urban Earth Design LLC

In designing driveways or pathways, Joplin likes to use one-quarter minus decomposed granite treated with a polymer for extra durability and sustainability. She finds it fits in particularly well with a natural looking environment. It has an earthy, dirt-like appearance with the durability of asphalt. And this form of granite may be more conducive to a tighter budget than other materials — decomposed granite may cost around $2 per square foot, whereas concrete can run upwards of $6 per square foot. Dollin, too, recommends the use of crushed granite in this capacity. With Arizona's intense heat, he finds this type of ground cover, which often has a rose color, does not get as hot as asphalt, nor does it carry a glare from the bright sun, as would the much lighter tone of concrete.

Within the realm of landscape design, concrete does have its place. Pools, for example, are an excellent scope in which to incorporate the material, though not without a little natural stone added in for good measure, of course. Concrete and ground natural stone are combined to create a product called "ancient stone." Full of tiny air pockets, the material is less dense than straight-up concrete, thus preventing the ground from getting too hot. Where flagstone and sandstone are more susceptible to decay, ancient stone holds up extremely well to pool chemicals and erosion. Those who prefer to build their pool out of a "purer" material are wise to choose a tumbled stone for its matte quality, as polished stone can be more slippery.

The Goldwater Memorial entry sign, made of multi-blend rustic ranch stone provided by Anasazi Stone, invites visitors to explore the memorial garden.
Photo courtesy of Laura Thelen & Urban Earth Design LLC

Trendy Options
A fairly recent trend in landscape design is the incorporation of what Dollin refers to as "outdoor rooms." Outdoor rooms are a contemporary way to integrate entertaining and utility with the landscape. For designers and homeowners who want to reach beyond the traditional, the dry climate of Arizona is conducive to their endeavors. Whether one wants to create an outdoor fireplace, bar or kitchen, the right stone plays an integral role — if not the integral role — in successfully developing the project.

	Close-up of slate planks. Photo courtesy of Margaret Joplin

Material options are greater for creating a vertical surface, like a fireplace or an oven, as it will never need to bear the weight of pedestrian traffic. Travertine works well in this capacity, particularly in fireplaces.

For outdoor kitchen areas, Rogers has seen an increase in the popularity of earth stone ovens. The various models are built out of a type of fire-clay product, but all have stone hearths and contain a cooking stone surface. The ovens are generally finished in natural stone. And because stone serves a more aesthetic function here, just about any type or style can be utilized. Earth stone ovens are available for indoor and outdoor use, both in gas-burning and wood-burning versions. Rogers finds that, while many prefer to use a gas-burning version in their indoor kitchens, a wood-burning stove makes for a more ideal setup outside.

The beauty of landscape architecture is in its ability to combine the artistic with the practical, the aesthetic with the functional. And one couldn't ask for an environment more conducive than Arizona for the implementation of stone in new and innovative ways.

This dry stack stone wall reaches out toward the existing desert wash. Exposed aggregate steps form the access from the wash to the upper lawn. Photo courtesy of Sunni Jackson and Urban Earth Design LLC

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